Chair head rest



Dec. 20, 1966 N. GELBMAN 3,292,974

CHAIR HEAD REST Filed Jan. 5, 1965 I 34 33 FIG.2

35 as l9 Y INVENTOR NATHAN L. GELBMAN United States Patent 3,292,974 CHAIR HEAD REST Nathan L. Gelbman, 17201 NE. 4th Ave., North Miami Beach, Fla. 33159 Filed Jan. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 423,440 1 Claim. (Cl. 297400) This invention relates to a cushioned head rest that can be attached or detached to a chair by the average person in a few seconds without the use of any tools.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel mechanical locking arrangement thereby preventing the head rest from becoming dislodged or interfering with the folding or unfolding of a chair such as the multitude of aluminum types in use today.

Another object is that due to its light weight and flexible maneuverability, the occupant of a chair so equipped at their discretion may slidably adjust the head rest portion to meet their most comfortable requirements by raising, lowering or tilting while remaining seated.

Another object is by rotating the head rest portion 90 degrees to vertiole position parallel with the main body and with the flexible covering and foam padding removed it makes it possible to roll in the head rest panel to a close proximity to the main longitudinal member thereby conserving carton space for merchandising and shipping.

These objects and other advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following specification, claim and drawing, of which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a side elevation of this invention in its completed form;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse view being taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the means used to complete the closure of the lower hook like receptacle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of part 30 shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view taken substantially on a line of 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view of some parts of the lower hook like receptacle.

In the form shown in the drawing, a longitudinal body 1 with an elongated slot 28 for the reception of bolts for attaching the various components of the invention. A hook like receptacle 3 with large enough diameter to slip over the center of a top rail of a chair slidably mounted on body 1 by means of bolt 4 through hook 3 slot 28 washer 5a secured or loosened by the manipulation of thumb nut 6 for proper setting. A smaller diameter hook like receptacle 7 mounted on body 1 so as to be freely slidable by putting 46 through slot 28 laying eye of extension spring 12 over cylinder 44 being held in place by putting fiat head screw 8 through countersunk hole in 'hook 7 secured by screwing screw 8 tightly into female thread of flanged cylinder 46, cylinder 44 being a little longer than the width of body 1 allows it to slide freely along the face of body 1. The opposite end of spring 12 is anchored at approximately the locaice tion shown in FIG. 1 depending on the amount of tension and length of spring 12 being used, slipping bolt 9 through washer 11 secured at the desired location by tightening nut 10.

The head rest assembly 18 is aflixed to body 1 by carriage type bolt 19 passed through elongated slot 20 in semi-tubular member 21 the underside 26 of head 19a being concentric with the radius of 27 passes through opening 41 of block through slot 28 of body 1, washer 34 compression spring 33 the ease of slidability being controlled by the amount of compression applied by the tightening or loosening the thumb nut 29 on bolt 19. In addition to the concentrical relationship of 26 to 27 the bolt 19 is prevented from turning by its square portion 19B slidable fit of slot 20. The block 30 is kept in alignment with body 1 by the two *guide plates 3232 fastened to it by the screws 43. Smooth tilting of 18 is accomplished in an arc of at least 180 degrees by concave 31 being concentric with convex 21a. Telescopic adjustment is provided for 18 by means 22 thumb screws 2424 through slots 2323 into threaded holes 25-25 alignment is accomplished by guides 22a of part 22. The rigid panel 36 is secured to 22 by fastenings 3737, the foam padding 38 is held in place by the flexible covering 39 secured fastenings 4545 provided for the easy removal or installation of both 38 and 39 when needed for cleaning or shipping, a pair of horizontal tracks 4040 becomes useful when the head rest 18 is rotated degrees to a vertical position parallel with body 1 making it possible to roll in 18 to closer proximity for compactness, conserving storage space. The shuttle like means 13 of FIG. 3 when attached to the lower hook 7 by thumb screw 14 a tri-fold purpose is accomplished, first it centers the invention in relation to a chair which is constructed by using an odd number of longitudinal flexible webs, the twin finger-like projections 1616 straddle a center web, secondly it completes the encirclement of the lower portion of a chair so that the device cannot become dislodged when folding, unfolding or jogging in any manner, the third purpose it fulfills is that if a chair is constructed of an even number of webs such as four or six, all that is required to do in order to center the device is to loosen screw 14 reverse shuttle 13 degrees so that the single finger-like projection 17 now encircles rod 49 and is at the center line of the chair between two webs, and retighten screw 14 again.

Again it will be noted that substantially on all folding chairs that the distance between the top tubular rail and the bottom rod which forms the nucleus for supporting the back webs shortens as a chair is folded due to the folding of the linkages, the variation in distance is compensated for in the invention by the contraction and tacle, a slidable lower opposing thook-l-ike receptacle, limited in its travel by means of an extension spring attached thereto, the opposite end-of which is anchored to the main body by means of a fastener which can be shifted vertically, to obtain the proper tension in order to keep the device taut when it is clamped on the back of a chair, especially the folding type where the distance between the top and bottom rail of the back varies due to the folding of the linkage, with the folding and unfolding of the chair; a shuttle fastened to the lower hooklike receptacle by means of a thumb screw or bolt and nut, having twin finger-like projections on one edge spaced apart a little greater than the width of a flexible web, a single finger-like projection on the center line of the opposite edge, an elongated slot which allows for adjusting said shuttle to encircle the bottom rod or rail.

References Cited by the Examine UNITED STATES PATENTS 313,781 Starr et a1 297410 3/ 1885 668,765 2/1901 Beach 297400 1,343,930 6/1920 Neely 24872 2,490,088 12/ 1949 Penn 297401 2,586,952 2/1952 Johnson et a1. 297-407' 2,624,397 1/ 1953 Staubin 297-409 1 3,165,359 1/ 1965 Ashkouti 297-452 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Examiner. 

